Champions League final ? Paris Saint-Germain v Inter: live
The two clubs contesting the 70th European Cup / Champions League final are cut from very different types of cloth. Internazionale are European royalty, the defensive masters of the mid-Sixties under Helenio Herrera, the similarly staunch usurpers of 2010 under Jose Mourinho, six-time finalists across the ages. Herrera?s team were known as La Grande Inter, which gives us some idea of status. Paris Saint-Germain are parvenus by comparison: the club were minus six years old when La Grande Inter were winning their first European Cup. Just the one unsuccessful appearance in the final for PSG, whose main mark on the competition to date has been historic collapses in earlier rounds. But times change, and they?re the favourites today.
The teams themselves are a study in contrast too. PSG are a gang of thrusting young bucks: D?sir? Dou? and Warren Za?re-Emery are 19, Jo?o Neves 20, Bradley Barcola 22, Willian Pacho 23, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 24. Inter?s average age is 31, with 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi at the back and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in midfield a sprightly 36. PSG were crowned French champions nearly two months ago and have been able to grab some R&R since then; Inter are smarting from their failure to win Serie A just last week. Yep, PSG are the favourites today all right.
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